Archive for February 28, 2010

There are some players who always appear to be on the cusp of breaking out, aren’t there? We’ve already discussed Johnny Cueto (click here to view), who certainly falls into this category. The oft-injured Rickie Weeks is another player who pops into my mind. What about the Angels Brandon Wood?

If feels like it’s been the better part of a decade since we began hearing about Wood and his potential to make an impact at the major league level. Drafted in the first round of the 2003 draft (23rd overall), it’s not much of an exaggeration. He’s seen time in the majors for parts of the last three seasons, been moved from SS to 3B, but has yet to be awarded a chance at full-time at bats.

Now, with Chone Figgins in Seattle, the 25-year old could finally be in position to play every day. The question… Will he be able to take advantage of it?

We all know he has power. He made a splash back in 2005 when, in High Single-A, he launched 43 home runs. Over his minor league career (2,944 AB) he’s hit 160 home runs, 76 of which has come in Triple-A. In that regard, he has little left to prove. Read more

First, let’s discuss the power. What happened to it? He has gone from 19 HR in ’07 to 13 HR in ’08 to last seasons 7 HR performance. He was never a big flyball hitter, with a 31.1% career mark (and 30.7% last season). What has happened is his HR/FB has steadily declined:

2007 – 12.2%

2008 – 9.4%

2009 – 5.4%

Of players who qualified for the batting title, he was in the bottom 25 of the league along with names like Scott Podsednik, Luis Castillo and Jason Kendall. While he’s never going to be a 20+ option, I would expect a little bit better production and a return to the world of double-digit home runs. Read more

The Top 50 Prospects for 2010 list was released today for those who subscribe to the Rotoprofessor Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide (the Top 20 list will be published on the site next Monday). That makes now the perfect time to purchase the guide. The list takes 2010 into account in a vacuum, so it doesn’t take a player’s long-term potential into account.

On the fence if the Rotoprofessor 2010 Fantasy Baseball Draft Guide is worth the $5 price tag? Well, decide for yourself, as you can now download the 1B section in pdf format:

That is just a taste of what you are getting from the Guide. For your $5 you also get:

Top 300 Players

Over 570 Player Projections

Expanded Rankings (i.e. Top 30 Catchers, Top 100 Starting Pitchers)

Ages for every player projected as of 4/1/10

The Rotoprofessor’s quick take on every player projected

Auction Values

Projected lineups and rotations

Top 50 Prospects for 2010 list (on the website, I will be releasing a Top 20 list)

Updates every 2-3 weeks

Remember, this draft guide is not a replacement to the website. Instead, it is a supplement to it. In fact, if there is a player that I’ve done an article on their name will be linked back to the website so you can easily access those articles for more in depth information on any player.

If there is any player who is not included in the original draft guide that you would like to see added, please make the suggestion and I will do my best to include them in the next revision.

This is your chance to have all of the information you need to thrive in your fantasy leagues in 2010. Place your order now and immediately start reaping the benefits!

With Johnny Damon heading out of town, it appears that the Yankees are primed to hand an outfield job to Brett Gardner. Does he have the potential to be a viable fantasy option? It’s doubtful, but let’s take a look:

In 1,467 career minor league at bats, he had just 55 doubles, 28 triples and 9 home runs. That led to a slugging percentage of just .383 and the potential for much power, even in the new Yankees Stadium, is minimal.

He’s likely to bat ninth, meaning, even in that loaded lineup, he’s not likely to drive in many runs. Read more

We all know that third base is one of, if not the shallowest position for fantasy owners in 2010. Does that mean that there isn’t any sleeper options available after Round 18 (an ADP after 216)? Of course not. Let’s take a look at two players who could be worth targeting late in your draft:

(Since we’ve already taken an in-depth look at Kevin Kouzmanoff, which you can view by clicking here, he is not being included on this list but is a great option in the later rounds.)

Garrett Atkins – Baltimore Orioles
How far do we downgrade someone for one poor season? While he hasn’t come close to matching his tremendous 2006 season (.329, 29 HR, 120 RBI, 117 R), it’s not like he was a horrendous option either, especially as a corner infielder. In 2009, the wheels completely fell off, leading to a pathetic .226, 9 HR, 48 RBI, 37 R line in just 354 AB, losing his job to Ian Stewart.

He has found new life in Baltimore and the fact of the matter is that he just can’t possibly be as bad as he looked in 2009. A lot of his struggles came courtesy of a well below average BABIP (.246) and a line drive rate that simply fell off a cliff: Read more

Usually when I draft a closer I would hope he has topped 16 saves more than once in his career. If he doesn’t have a long track record as a closer, at least he’s the primary setup man. Strike two. Dotel has just two years of 30+ holds, and they date back to 2002 & 2003. If neither of those are the case, I hope he’s on a good team. Foul tip. The Pirates are not good, but quality closers can come from bad teams. If those aren’t true, I hope he is full of potential. Strike three, you’re out. Dotel is 36 years old. You know who he is and what you’re going to get from him.

He struck out, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want him. Certainly not as a top 15 closer (Click to see Closer Rankings), but he’s a decent #2 and a solid #3.

Why you ask? Because of his strikeout potential. He’s been a beast the past two years with the White Sox with 167 strikeouts in 129.3 innings (11.6 K/9). That’s nothing new for Dotel. In fact, he has 940 strikeouts in 770.3 career innings (11.0 K/9). Read more